Turn Back Time
by Angel Abby
Summary: After her boyfriend tries to take things farther than she's comfortable with, Hermione uses the Time Turner and goes back 20 years to get away. She runs into someone she knows from the present...
1. The Only Way Out

A/N: I just had a baby six weeks ago and I would like to inform everyone that may be reading this that it MAY take me a couple of weeks for each chapter. This story is also going to be posted on under the same pen name. Hugs and cookies to my beta, Broken Memories, and my prebeta, Laerenielwen. Everything that appears in italics are thoughts. If you recognize it then it's not mine and I'm not making millions on it… Well, enjoy.

Chapter 1: The only way out

It was more than she could handle.

Hermione had been dating Ron for almost a year, and she had been perfectly happy with the way things had been going. Outside of his family and Harry, no one had known about it, and that's the way she liked it. She had too much schoolwork that needed to be done without the distracting gossip about what they had or hadn't done. Besides, she knew that Malfoy would have a hay-day with the tormenting again. That boy had just begun to leave her alone.

However, as of recently, Ron had been acting totally out of character. Just the week before he had asked her to walk around the dungeons with him, which was extremely odd. Once they were far enough from prying eyes, he pushed her against the cold stone wall and began groping her. She had fended him off well enough that time, but since then he had always been trying to cop a feel.

"Ronald!" Hermione gasped while shoving him away. "What in the hell are you doing?"

"Come on, Hermione. It's been almost a year and you haven't let me do anything but hold your hand." He ran his hand through his fire engine red hair. "I want you."

Hermione could hear the lust in his voice and pressed herself more tightly against the dungeon wall.

"You want m…" Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her. Ron's hands began the exploration from which they had long been forbidden. "Ron! Stop!" Her pleas seemed to go unheard. He was bigger and stronger than she could ever be. In all the years she'd known him, never had she thought he would ever force himself upon her (or anyone else for that matter). She fought with his hands while he fought against the buttons on her blouse.

She hoped that somebody, anybody, would walk around the corner and come to her rescue. For once in her life, she wished that Malfoy would walk around the corner. She knew Ron had an ego problem and would jump Malfoy the moment he opened his mouth. In which case she would have a chance to get away. But she had no such luck.

Without thinking, she pulled the Time Turner from inside her shirt and frantically gave it a spin. The walls around her began to swirl out of existence, pulling at every fiber of her being. Ron began to dissolve into the walls as all the colors mixed together. Everything went black.

She could feel the cold stone beneath her as she moved to stand up. Her legs were weak and her head hurt incredibly. Dizziness overtook her, and she gave in to gravity. With all the willpower she could muster, Hermione tried to remember what had happened. How she had came to be lying on the floor in the dungeons was still a bit fuzzy. She had been with Ron when he-

A hand came to rest on her shoulder. "Get off me, Ron!" she shouted, suddenly finding the strength to get up. She turned to throw a punch but was stopped by a firm grip on her wrist.

"Calm yourself!" a deep voice commanded.

With logical thought returning, Hermione realized the person behind her was not Ron at all. She could tell that he was tall and lanky, though the rest of his features were hidden in the shadows.

"What are you doing down here? It's after curfew."

"I-" What was she supposed to say? This wasn't her time frame so she had to be careful with what she said. Had she turned the time turner forward or back? The first rule of the time turner is not to be seen…Oops. That was one rule broken.

"Can you talk, Gryffindor?" the boy asked, stepping into the torchlight.

He looked oddly familiar, though Hermione was hard put to give a name to the face.

"Who says I'm a Gryffindor?" Hermione responded, a little taken back by the reference.

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest. His long, dark hair fell to his shoulders. He studied her for a moment with dark eyes. He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "The insignia on your robes has a red border, as only those in Gryffindor do. Now state your purpose down here."

Instantly she recognized him.

_Oh, shite! It's Snape! _"I was, uh," she said deciding to stick as close to the truth as was plausible, "trying to get away from a boy who couldn't control his wandering hands."

"Potter, no doubt!" he scoffed.

"No, not Harry," she said without thinking.

"Who's Harry? I was talking about that bastard, James." He continued giving her a puzzled look. "Come with me, girl!"

She was so used to following his directions without question that she fell into step behind him, staring at the ground as she normally did. How was she going to get out of this?

"Where-"

"Silence! Dumbledore will deal with you," he said as he continued walking quickly towards the stairs to the main entranceway.

Hermione had to gauge that he was about 17 or 18 years of age and in his final year at the school. He was tall, though entirely too skinny. His robes had the same billowing effect that they had in the present. She had discovered by now that she had gone back in time.

"Yes, sir." At least she was going to see someone who would understand. At least, that's what she hoped.

He turned back to her and raised his eyebrow again. Shaking his head, he turned back to the stairs.

_Damn, here I go fudging things up again,_ Hermione thought to herself. She hoped that nothing bad would come of this little incident.


	2. A Meeting With The Headmaster

A/N: Another chapter up and posted. I would like to thank my beta, Broken Memories for the wonderful work she does. My prebeta is currently busy with school stuff and I eagerly await her return. I should mention again that the characters found within this story do not belong to me. I'm just having a bit of fun with them.

Chapter 2: A Meeting With the Headmaster

The young Snape lead the way to the Headmaster's office, which was located behind a stone gargoyle on the 7th floor. _Had that always been there?_ she wondered silently to herself. Without too much thought, she resolved to find out when… if… she returned to the future.

"Marmalade," he whispered and the gargoyle moved aside to reveal the entrance. "He will be with you shortly." Turning on his heels, Snape strode back down the halls and disappeared around the corner.

Hermione went inside and stood in awe of the bookcase that took up the far wall. She had to resist the urge to start browsing. There would be many books among those shelves that could not be found in the library. _I won't be staying here long, _she reminded herself as she took a seat in front of the large desk. _Hopefully._

She had only waited about 15 minutes before the door opened again to reveal a man she recognized immediately. His beard was shorter and had fewer grays in it, but his eyes were still a sparkling blue, hidden behind half-moon spectacles.

"May I ask the nature of your visit, Miss, uh," he paused, seeming unable to put a name to her face.

"Granger, sir. Hermione Granger," she replied politely.

"Ah. And what brings you to my office this evening?" He sat down behind his desk and reached for a sweet.

"I had a bit of trouble with a Time Turner."

"Now that is not possible, miss. They haven't been released from the Department of Mysteries yet," he said plainly as he unwrapped what looked like a Muggle peppermint. "How do you even know about the Time Turner?"

Hermione then explained about her overload of classes since her 3rd year and how McGonagall had given her the device to keep up. She had returned it to the professor, but had gotten it back again so she could take a few extra classes in her 7th year. Then she went on about how she had been going out with one of her best friends, leaving out the names, and how he had tried to force himself upon her in the hallway of one of the dungeons.

"I spun the Time Turner without thinking and was brought back here," Hermione explained sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders. "I'd say that I won't be born for about 3 years." Hermione couldn't help but laugh at her situation. "I was hoping you could help me get back."

"Do you have the instrument?"

She reached for the chain around her neck, and found it missing. "Oh no."

The pair talked for a few hours until the moon was high in the night sky. Due to the fact that the Time Turner was still in the experimental stage, Dumbledore would be unable to procure one for some time. "Until such a time when we can send you back, or forward as it would seem, you may stay in Gryffindor Tower. I will announce that you are an exchange student from another school. Beauxbatons, perhaps? No, you haven't the accent for it. Perhaps something a bit more local… The Salem Witches Institute would work, I do say." His eyes twinkled as though this was an ingenious idea. "Continuing with your studies will help keep your mind off the present situation. I believe the password this week is 'lion's mane,' though I could be mistaken."

After being dismissed, Hermione made her way to the tower that was so familiar to her. She couldn't wait to climb into the soft cozy bed by the window and stare at the stars while she fell asleep. The Pink Lady was snoring in her painting when she arrived. "Lion's mane," Hermione said. The woman in the portrait continued snoozing. "Excuse me!" Hermione said a little louder.

With an abrupt snort, consciousness returned. "Password?" The woman yawned.

"Lion's mane." Hermione couldn't believe that 20 years back into the past, the keeper to her dormitory was still as lazy as in the present. She pushed her way past the portrait and into the common room. She couldn't believe the similarities to the common room that she normally occupied. Except for the fact that the paintings on the wall had changed, it was exactly the same. Her squishy armchair was even pulled up close to the fireplace. She hurried over to sit in it… only to find it occupied by a girl with long, dark red hair reading a book.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Hermione turned and headed up towards the stairs.

"I haven't seen you in here before," the girl in the chair said, raising her wand. "Who are you?"

Hermione started. "I'm Hermione." _Shite! Where did Dumbledore say I was from? Oh, yeah! _"I'm an exchange student from Salem Witches Institute."

The girl eyed her closely with piercing emerald eyes for a moment before putting away her wand. Without another word she returned to her book, wordlessly dismissing Hermione.

"_How rude!" _Hermione thought, following the staircase to the girls' dormitory. She opened the door and discovered that the bed she normally slept in was occupied. The one on the other side of the window was as well. So she took the unoccupied bed by the door, seeing as it didn't look like it had been slept in at all.

"_This is going to be fun",_ she thought to herself sardonically.

Hermione awoke the following morning and found a letter on her bedside table.

**_Dear Miss Granger,_**

_**I have contacted all the teachers to let them know you are here, though I have stuck to our story about Salem. They know nothing more than that, but are anxious to meet you. I have deliberated with myself and have come up with a schedule for you lessons. I hope you will find it satisfactory. **_

**_N.E.W.T. Potions - Slughorn_**

**_N.E.W.T. Transfiguration - McGonagall_**

**_N.E.W.T. Charms - Flitwick_**

_**N.E.W.T. Defense Against the Dark Arts - McClanahan**_

**_Advanced Arithmancy - Vector_**

**_Advanced Ancient Runes – _Callaghan**

**_If the classes don't suit you, please let me, or the Head of House, know._**

_**Sincerely,**_

**_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_**

Hermione nearly screamed. These were all the classes she had been taking before, though the list was somewhat shorter since she couldn't use the Time Turner to get to any extras anymore. She found herself a little disappointed by that fact, but was overall pleased with the schedule. She dressed and made her way down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Early as usual, Hermione decided against sitting in her normal spot, which was halfway down the table. She instead sat on the end closest to the staff table. She had no friends yet and didn't want to feel like she was intruding upon anything. It was at least a few weeks into the term, and everyone had already formed little cliques. Not that she planned on making friends. _Just being here is probably messing up the future as it is._

The first class of the day was double Potions. _Just like the good old days. _Hermione groaned softly to herself. _At least that greasy git won't be-_

Her thoughts were cut short as the previously mentioned git entered the room. That is to say that he strode in with his abnormally large nose leading the way. Hermione couldn't help but watch his every move. He looked almost normal; his skin wasn't as pasty looking, though it was far from tanned, and he actually appeared to have brushed his teeth. This was beginning to creep Hermione out, so she took a seat in the front row.

"Settle down. Settle down now," a rather short, fat, balding man said as he hurried into the room. After everyone had found a seat he cleared his throat. "Dumbledore just stopped by my office to inform me that we have a new student with us for a while; a Miss, uh, Hermione Granger. But since I'm late, we have little time for introductions. Please, open your books to page 358 and read over the passage on the Felix Felicis. We will be brewing this is groups of two today. Oh, Lily would you mind working with Miss Granger today?"

"No, sir," the girl from the night before replied back to the professor. She smiled politely at Hermione.

_That's Harry's mom!_

The class itself was rather uneventful, though Hermione caught herself, on more than one occasion, turning to her left to whisper the instructions to Neville who wasn't even born yet. Lily talked quite a bit while she worked. She went on about this annoying boy who just would not leave her alone. He was always pestering her for a date, but she was much too busy.

_Boys can be such asses!_ Hermione thought to herself, remembering how Ron had acted. _Puberty turns them into such jerks, Malfoy excluded. He was just always a jerk."_

Everyone filed from the classroom when Professor Slughorn (_What kind of a name is that? _Hermione had thought) dismissed them five minutes early.

"Sirius and I are going down to the lake to throw rocks at the squid. You want to come, Lily?"

Hermione whirled around to see Harry talking to Lily. No, that wasn't Harry. It had to be James. _Harry really is the spitting image of his dad,_ Hermione thought in amazement._ I must be careful not to call him Harry. File that away for later, Hermione._

Lily, of course, said no. She later told Hermione that she knew Sirius hadn't planned on accompanying them and it was just another of "that Potter's sorry attempts at a date."

And so, Hermione's first full day in the past started.

A/N: A big thanks goes out to everyone who has reviewed this story. You guys are what keep me going (along with an overactive imagination that is screaming to be let loose. I would give a hint of what is coming up in the next chapter… but I don't want to spoil the surprise. That leaves me with only one choice and that is to get started right away on the next chapter. Hopefully, if my beta isn't to busy the chapter should be up by 21st. I eagerly await you reviews.

A.A.


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